ABENAKI NATION AT NULHEGAN/MEMPHREMAGOG....on www.facebook.com:
(Luke Willard)
The fight for recognition is over for me. I've said all that I want to say. It was my job to represent the wishes of our citizens. I did that. To my knowledge, there are at least 3 websites devoted to ruining the chief's lives simply because they don't agree with us. Rather pathetic, but, oh well. Back to busines as usual. Back to the land. Back to the people. The scribes will note us in history.
8 hours ago :)~LukeCarollee Reynolds
Luke, blogs are like assholes, everyone can have one. Let them shove that up their up their blog.
Honored to have my name with the chiefs.
6 hours ago
(Luke Willard)
Thank you, Carollee.
6 hours ago
Jill Cresey-Gross
Why anyone would believe the writings from someone with diminished mental capabilities is
beyond me.
3 hours ago
Donald Stevens
We should have know better than to keep chasing the approval of Euro-Americans. We need to
know concentrate on our heritage and keep the traditions alive for our children. I’m with you all
the way Luke.
about an hour ago
(Luke Willard)
Hope.
Yesterday at 9:54pm
Sherry L. Gould
Always hope!
Yesterday at 10:01pm
Having been made aware of Mr. Luke Andrew Willard's facebook.com posted idiotic statement quote:
Evil things happened in Montpelier, Vermont today (Friday, April 16, 2010). What can you expect from a legislature that made it a "priority" to protect the feelings of transvestites? Soon, you will be able to marry your dog and your sister at the same time...but Vermont Abenakis will NEVER be recognized ....FORCING our artisans to be criminals for selling their crafts as “Abenaki Made”. Shame upon these “lawmakers”. Friday (April 16, 2010) at 9:39pm....
I had a retrospective sort of "Deja Vu" to October 29th, 2008....when Frederick M. Wiseman was doing an Interview for Vermont Edition via Vermont Public Radio.
Pay attention to section 21:45 to 24:00 when I telephoned in to VPR's Vermont Editioin, to confront Mr. Wiseman on his alleged "Native Perspective" regarding the Lake Champlain "Quadricentennial Celebration."
One factual historical detail that Mr. Wiseman failed to mention in this Vermont Edition Interview concerning the Lake Champlain Valley/ Abenaki dynamic retrospectively, was that Denise Watso's great-great Uncle John Watso actually is in the records (Ferrisburg, Robinson), as the Abenaki who named the Champlain Valley in the Abenaki language (atleast to the "Anglo's" could record it in their books). Why weren't legitimate bonefide documented Abenaki people part of the events concerning the Lake Champlain "Quadricentennial Celebration"?
So why would Frederick Wiseman & Co. retropsectively-speaking write an Open Letter attacking Odanak calling them "expatriates" etc?
Secondly, why would Fred Wiseman mention in this Vermont Edition Audio-Interview (dated October 29, 2008) that quote in response to Douglas Buchholz' call-in question(s) to him Professor Frederick M. Wiseman replied with this response, "Ok, well...there's several levels to that, uhh....first of all, my genealogy comes out Canada rather than the United States and the perspective that I am using, is a political perspective not a genealogical perspective. I have certain responsibilities to the Wabanaki Confederacy and the 7 Nations of Canada, so that is where I achieve that (Native) Perspective. In terms of the political issues that are in Vermont, of course I am sure most of the VPR audience knows about the official position of the state of Vermont and the activities to undermine the cultural, political and genealogical connections of the modern communities to the old ones. For example, I've been on VPR many times dealing with that, and it is very nice to actually be here dealing with Lake Champlain and something other than the internal politics, so yes, for example, Native People are the only ones that do not have to...that cannot self-identify. If I was...a member of the Gay/ Lesbian community or the Judaic Community no one would ask for my....for proof....of that. One of the interesting issues with Native People is that they are the only one's....that continually have to....prove ourselves."
MY RESPONSE:
What does a person's "sexual orientation and or religious beliefs" have to do with verifying (without hesitation or protest) genealogically, socially and historically...the docuemntary merit(s) and foundation(s) of these four (4) gaining official State Recognition in Vermont, and or New Hampshire.
Interestingly enough, it was retrosepctively printed in the news that Mr. Wiseman went to Isreal.
It was Frederick M. Wiseman who gained funding for his Abenaki Tribal Museum & Cultural Center from the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Vermont LINK: http://www.glfundvt.org
Jeff Benay has worked with the alleged and reinvented St. Francis-Sokoki Abenaki Band of Missisquoi since he was hired in 1979 by that group; and with Fred Wiseman, and it was Jeff Benay that came from an affluent Jewish community in Long Island, New York.
www.cowasuckabenaki.org dated May 24, 2008:
"Jeff Benay, Vermont's Commissioner of Native American Affairs, Fred Wiseman historian, David Stewart Smith, Penacook and historian, Peter Newell, Intertribal Council, Roger Longtoe, El Nu Band, Howard Knight, Cowasuck, Yvon and Yannick Mercier of Sherbrooke, PQ are all pooling together the ancient history of their area and research to share and document for the future."
"Fred Wiseman with the help of Jeff Benay and the Seven Fires, has recently produced a DVD Out of the Darkness which is a work in progress."
VCNAA (Mark W. Mitchell's website) March 21, 2008:
"Jeff Benay, commissioner of the former Governor's Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs who has worked with the St. Francis/Sokoki for decades, said the fact that these three groups were on the same page was remarkable. Historically, the bands have mistrusted each other, but they came together in the past couple of weeks on the recognition issue."
"Jeff Benay said others have argued that having all bands go through the same recognition process is fair, but he contended that what's fair to the three bands is to acknowledge that they have proven themselves to the state and deserve outright recognition." (B.S.)
www.burlingtonfreepress Newspaper dated March 14, 2008:
"The three bands -- the St. Francis/Sokoki band in Swanton, the Koasek Traditional Band in southern Vermont and the Nulhegan band in the Northeast Kingdom -- have a long history in Vermont (more B.S.), said Jeff Benay, former chairman of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs, who helped negotiate the proposal."
www.nanews.org dated June 12, 1993:
"Jeff Benay, who is head of the Title IV Indian Education for Swanton schools, said his office has been inundated with phone calls for information on the book "Finding One's Way", a fictional account of a young Abenaki boy exploring his heritage as he grows up, and for more educational materials about Abenaki culture."
Democratic Senator Hinda Miller's Website~
LINK: http://www.hindaforsenate.com/home
LINK: http://reinventedvermontabenaki.blogspot.com/2010/03/democratic-senator-hina-millers-little.html
From Rep. Hinda Miller's mouth quote, "I personally come from a tribe and we were too recog…, too much recognized in Europe. We had to wear yellow stars in national recognition of my lineage and tribe."
Rep. Hinda Miller is "self-identifying" as a Judaic woman. Abenaki and their descendants "self-identify" all the time. The Gay and Lesbian people "self-identity" as well.
And no.....I am not imply there a Jewish Conspiracy to take over the state of Vermont.
I strongly suspect there seemingly is an ever more apparent~blatantly and obvious "Abenaki Alliance conspiracy" to take over the State of Vermont's Abenaki Recognition Process + Abenaki Recognition Criterion and including the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs as well.
If they can't have their way (Instant Shake and Bake State of VT Abenaki Recognition....any Historical-Social and most especially NO Genealogical Evidence of their clear and convincing evidence of connection to the legitimate Abenaki Historical Communities or people) the various persons connected to this so-called "Abenaki Alliance," such as Nancy Lee (nee: Millette) Doucet for example, will get up and throw a childish hissy-fit, use 'colorful foul language and stomp out of the room....like she did at the Committee meeting which was held on Friday, April 16, 2010.
Abenaki Recognition criterion NEEDS to be transaparent, fair and open for ALL Abenaki people within the State. ALL Abenaki Incorporations and "groups" (including the one Fred Wiseman and Luke Willard belong to) should not be creating the recognition criterion BEFORE VT State Recognition is given, just so their groups can ensure themselves an open door to official State of Vermont Abenaki Recognition.
Without a solid fair and transparent process and criterion for Abenaki recognition, it would be like "the weasels planning, building and installing the door to the chicken house coop!"
